ALOE, 



10 



variety and different colours of the 

 flowers ; but they differ from almost 

 all other ornamental plants, as they 

 do not admit of being gathered and 

 put into nosegays, on account of 

 their unpleasant smell. 



Allosu'rds. — Filices. — A genus 

 of ferns, with short broad leaves, 

 natives of ]\Iexico, and New Grran- 

 ada. A. flexuosus is a climbing 

 plant, A . cordatus is nearly hardy. 



Allspice-tree. — See Calyca'n- 



THUS. 



Almond. — See A>iy'GDALrs. 



A'loe. — Hemerocallidacece. — 

 The name of Aloe is so frequently 

 applied in conversation to the 

 American Aloe, or Agave, that many 

 persons are not aware that the true 

 Aloe is not only quite a different 

 genus, but belongs to a diffei-ent 

 natural order; the American Aloe 

 being one of the Amai-yllis tribe, and 

 the true Aloe one of the Day-lily tribe. 

 The qualities of the two plants are 

 also essentially different ; the Ame- 

 rican Aloe abounds in starchy 

 nourishing matter, while every part 

 of the true Aloe is a drastic purga- 

 tive, which is poisonous if taken in 

 excess. The true Aloe also flowers 

 every year, and the flowers are tube- 

 shaped, and produced on a spike ; 

 while each plant of the American 

 Aloe flowers but once, sending up an 

 enormous flower-stem, with cande- 

 labra-like branches and cup-shaped 

 flowers. The true Aloes are suc- 

 culent plants, natives of the Cape 

 of Good Hope ; and they grow best 

 in this country in greenhouses, or 

 rooms, the pots being well drained, 

 and the soil composed of a sandy 

 loam, mixed with a little lime-rub- 

 bish or gravel. To this, when the 

 plants are wanted to attain a large 

 size, may be added a little leaf- 

 mould. When grown in rooms, the 

 poor soil is, however, preferable, as 

 it keeps the plants of a smaller 



I and more manageable size, and 



! makes them less easily affected by 

 changes of the temperature, and of 



I heat and dryness. The colours of 

 the flowers will also be richer 

 when the plants are grown in poor 

 soil. The drug called Aloes is made 

 principally from the pulp of the 

 fleshy leaf of the A. socotrhia, the 

 flowers of which are red, tipped with 

 green; but it is also made from 



j several other species. A . vidgaris, 

 sometimes called A. barhadensis, 



I has orange-yellow flowers ; and the 

 Partridge-breast Aloe, A . variegata, 

 has variegated leaves. All the kinds 

 should be frequently watered when 

 they are in a growing state and 

 about to flower ; but the water that 

 runs through the mould in the pot 

 should always be poured directly out 

 of the saucer ; as, if water be allowed 

 to remain in a stagnant state about 

 the roots, the leaves will rot and drop 

 off. It is to prevent water lodging 

 round the crown of the plant, which 

 would produce the same effect, that 

 gravel or lime-rubbish should always 

 be mixed with the soil. When the 

 plants have done flowering, water 

 should be given to them very spar- 

 ingly, — not oftener than once a 

 month ; and they should be kept in 

 a dry, warm situation, where they 

 will have plenty of light ; as in this j 

 respect also they differ from the ' 

 Agave, which may be kept during 

 the winter almost in darkness. The 

 Aloe is generally propagated by 

 offsets, or suckers; but in some 

 instances it may be increased by 

 stripping off a leaf, letting it diy for 

 a day or two, and afterwards planting 

 it quite shallow in a pot of sandy 

 soil, and giving it very little water. 

 In the course of a few months, one 

 or several buds will be found formed 

 at the base of the leaf, and roots 

 being thrown down from the same 

 point, a new plant will be produced. 



